Transcript Highlights:

• He has been appointed to the Regional University System of Oklahoma for a term to expire June 10, 2034
• business experience gives him valuable insight into workforce development, fiscal responsibility, and long-term
• You're knowledgeable and you care about helping students and you care about helping Oklahoma teachers
• They took the best care of people.
• Senator Hicks, do you care to vote? Aye. Senator Mann, do you care to vote? Senator Seifried? Aye.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Extended Education Committee met to consider a long slate of gubernatorial nominations and reappointments to education-related boards and commissions. The committee heard brief introductions from sponsoring senators and remarks from nominees for the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, State Board of Career and Technology Education, Regional University System of Oklahoma, State Board of Education, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, the Secretary of Education, several university and college boards, the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority, the State Textbook Committee, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Langston University board, among others. Many nominees emphasized their backgrounds in public education, higher education, business, agriculture, health care, or community service, and several acknowledged family members or institutional leaders present in the room. A few nominations drew questions or discussion. John Wesley Nofire was asked about working with the State Board of Education and about the social studies standards process, and he explained the board followed statutory public-comment procedures and made changes before final adoption. Secretary of Education Dan Hamlin received supportive comments from multiple senators, who praised his data-driven approach and urged that he be retained by future administrations. Michael McElroy, Brian Beller, Christopher Franklin, Dr. Michael Peck, and others also answered questions about the role of their boards and their experience with the institutions they would oversee. The committee voted on each nomination, with most receiving unanimous approval and a few passing with one or two dissenting votes. Notable vote totals included David McKenzie and Michael McElroy passing 9-2 and 10-1 respectively, while the rest of the nominees generally passed 8-0, 9-0, 10-0, or 11-0. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked members for their work on the large number of executive nominations and announced that the committee was adjourned for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mike Wen, Aloha Care. Okay, moving on. Mike Wen, Aloha Care.
• This expansion deepens long-term fiscal obligations without corresponding revenue sources.
• This expansion deepens long-term fiscal obligations without corresponding revenue sources.
• This expansion deepens long-term fiscal obligations without corresponding revenue sources.
• This expansion deepens long-term fiscal obligations without corresponding revenue sources.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services opened its first hearing of the 2026 session and heard testimony on several bills, with the chair emphasizing one-minute testimony, written submissions, and live streaming. For SB 768, relating to an alternative water source income tax credit, the Department of Taxation said a drafting issue needed clarification on the $500 cap and estimated a revenue loss of $6.8 million per year beginning in fiscal year 2028. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Libertarian Party opposed the bill as an unnecessary subsidy and tax-code complication, while one supporter was noted. A member questioned the size of the projected loss and suggested future analysis of net fiscal impacts and methodology. The committee then heard SB 389, which expands a general excise tax exemption to additional health-related providers and purchases. The Department of Taxation said the change would be a minimal code adjustment but would require public education; the Tax Foundation said the bill should be framed in light of the original physician-shortage rationale for the exemption. The Hawaii National Guard and Aloha Care supported the measure, along with several other organizations and individuals, while the Libertarian Party opposed it as favoritism and tax-code complexity. A member asked about administrative burden and potential tax impact, and the department said it did not yet have a calculation but was working on one. The committee also heard SB 877, which would appropriate funds to increase Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are maximized, and SB 1139, which would direct DHS to expand Medicaid eligibility for children from birth to age five regardless of household income. DHS stood on written testimony for both bills, and Aloha Care, the Hawaii Medical Association, disability advocates, children’s advocates, and CARES testified in support, arguing the measures would improve access and family stability. The Libertarian Party opposed both bills, warning of higher long-term costs, entitlement growth, and reduced private-sector options. Members questioned the fiscal and programmatic differences between crisis and warm-line services during discussion of SB 787, a bill to fund a Department of Health warm line; the department said the warm line would serve noncrisis callers more cheaply than crisis staffing, and that about 34.7% of 2024 Hawaii CARES contacts were mild issues that could have been routed to a warm line. Supporters cited mental health needs after the Lahaina wildfire and the affordability crisis, while opponents argued the service duplicated existing resources and expanded government involvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosemeyer specializes in anesthesiology and critical care.
• This grant is designed to improve health care access to rural communities by supporting innovative care
• So my hope is that we will look into it because I think long term that can become an issue for us as
• from the term limits.
• That's probably going to be something that's addressed long after we're gone from the term limits.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, including recognition of Alpha Kappa Alpha Founders’ Day and a visiting debate student. The chamber then took up a committee report on 52 executive appointments. After explanation by Ethics and Elections Chair Don Gates, the Senate adopted the report and confirmed the appointments by a vote of 39-0. The first major bill was SB 250 on rural communities. Senator Simon described it as a broad rural development package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance Grant Program for counties losing population, housing and transportation investments, additional funding for rural education, and rural health care measures. Two amendments were adopted to remove overlapping health provisions in light of a new federal rural health grant and to update hospital funding estimates. Senators from both parties spoke in support, while also asking about eligibility and access to grant funds. The bill passed 39-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 318 on educational scholarship programs. Senator Gates said the bill responds to Auditor General concerns by separating scholarship funding from public school funding, requiring student identification and enrollment verification, reducing administrative fees for scholarship funding organizations, requiring annual audits, and directing the Department of Education to develop a competitive selection and performance plan for those organizations. Three amendments were adopted, including removal of a declining-enrollment provision for later conforming legislation and changes to enrollment documentation and withdrawal procedures. Senators from both parties supported the bill while raising concerns about accountability, student oversight, and school quality. The bill passed 38-0. Afterward, the Senate waived rules so SB 250 and CS/SB 318 could be immediately certified to the House. The session ended with announcements, including Palm Beach County Day at the Capitol and a reminder about the chamber group photograph, followed by adjournment until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Short-term program. It was before we were given any recovery funds.
• So we provided short-term working capital loans to those businesses.
• We think that will be a game changer for the small systems in your communities.
• $10 million into the Child Care Facility Loan Fund.
• That's one example on the long end.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• low-income families, many of them single mothers, of the opportunity for stable homeownership and long-term
• low-income families, many of them single mothers, of the opportunity for stable homeownership and long-term
• By identifying the true cost to end homelessness and establishing a long-term funding strategy, the state
• Survivor-centered supportive services and housing options are critical for creating long-term safety
• And while everybody needs emergency housing and temporary housing and affordable housing and long-term

Committee: Senate Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• The more that we do earlier on, the better the long-term results are going to be.
• So, we have that basic literacy aid, that per-pupil funding that allows districts to plan long-term.
• Our school districts need certainty to establish a plan, to understand long-term or to have a long-term
• or to have a to understand long-term or to have a long-term<01:20:40.080><c> planning</c><01:20:40.840
• planning for the benefit of long-term planning for the benefit of our<01:20:41.560><c> students.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:23.600><c> and</c> that expanded VA health care and that expanded VA health care and benefits
• </c> domestic violence shelters, short-term domestic violence shelters, short-term stay<00:10:09.240>
• We need to pass this legislation and take care of our veterans.
• We need to pass this legislation and take care of our veterans.
• The Senate doesn't have that. a long uh um a long place between now a long uh um a long place between

Transcript Highlights:

• background information, the Passport to Careers Program supports youth who experienced either foster care
• The Passport to Careers Program supports youth who experienced either foster care at the age of 13 or
• A couple of years ago, we had, for the first time, a long-term evaluation of the Passport Program.
• A couple of years ago, we had, for the first time, a long-term evaluation of the Passport Program.
• Put it into our system and help streamline that application process for students. Okay.

Summary: The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee began with a work session presentation from the Washington Student Achievement Council on the Passport to Careers Program. Staff explained that Passport serves youth who experienced foster care at age 13 or later or unaccompanied homelessness, and that the program provides scholarships and campus support services for college, apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship pathways. WASAC said the program is a national model because it uses data-sharing agreements to identify eligible students automatically, is funded by the state, and partners with the College Success Foundation and campus networks to provide support. Officials reported that about 2,000 students will be served in 2025-26, with awards capped at $2,000, and cited an evaluation finding that 31% of participants graduate within eight years, compared with much lower rates for similarly situated students outside the program. Committee members asked about graduation rates for all students, the share of Passport students who are parents, how unaccompanied homelessness is identified, where campus support staff are housed, and how funding is used. WASAC said most students are single without children, unaccompanied homeless youth are identified through McKinney-Vento liaisons, and campus support structures vary by institution. Staff also described how the program has grown 131% since unaccompanied homeless youth became eligible in 2019, while appropriations have remained around $7 million annually, forcing reductions in the maximum scholarship award from $5,000 in 2023-24 to $2,800 and then $2,000 in 2025-26. Officials emphasized that students still face significant unmet need and that campus support funds are often used for basic needs, academic support, and emergency aid. The committee then moved through executive session on several bills and advanced each one with a do pass recommendation to Ways and Means. The bills included SB 5826 on medication abortion access at public postsecondary institutions, SB 5828 on Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship awards at private four-year institutions, SB 5909 on low-enrollment undergraduate programs, SB 5931 on WIA board co-chair terms and dashboard requirements, SB 5954 on tuition waivers for certain veteran dependents and survivors, SB 5963 on Passport to Careers funding and eligibility changes, SB 6082 on a state financial aid fraud performance audit, and SB 6090 establishing the Heritage Orchard Program at Washington State University. The committee adopted the proposed substitute for SB 5931 before passing it, and all measures were reported out subject to signatures.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, legislation added a long-term planning office to MMB as well. agency uh MMB was created in 2009
• added</c><00:01:33.920><c> a</c> admin in 2023 legislation added a admin in 2023 legislation added a long-term
• We've taken care of that.
• </c> for safety and soundness of the system for safety and soundness of the system and<01:02:28.960><
• The grants management system feasibility study will determine if a single system is feasible.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• As you can see from the long-term profile, the general fund is essentially balanced while the school
• </c> the fiscal profile and the long-term the fiscal profile and the long-term fiscal<01:01:35.520><c
• As you can see from<01:01:53.599><c> the</c><01:01:53.839><c> long-term</c><01:01:54.400><c> profile,
• the long-term profile, the general fund<01:01:55.760><c> is</c><01:01:56.000><c> essentially</c><01:
• ><c> the</c><01:02:15.920><c> state's</c> This long-term assessment of the state's This long-term assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• terms?
• investing would be in projects like those that we would have as part of our state infrastructure fund, long-term
• So the system has nothing to do with the new OMV system we're getting.
• So it's not one system. We're not advocating for one system.
• that system.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1157, which would create a Louisiana State Infrastructure Bank to provide another funding mechanism for transportation-related projects, including roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, and other surface transportation needs. Chairman Borek and DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD said the goal is to leverage state, federal, local, and private dollars, using models from Florida and other states. Members asked about board makeup, staffing, project selection, administrative costs, and how the bank would differ from capital outlay and existing transportation programs. Testimony in support came from business and economic development representatives, including Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans, Inc., who said infrastructure is critical to major economic projects and that the bank could attract outside capital. The bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then took up several local and procurement-related bills. House Bill 860, allowing fillable electronic public bid forms, was reported favorably. House Bill 972, naming a portion of Highway 93 in Lafayette Parish the Desert Shield Desert Storm Memorial Highway, and House Bill 965, naming a portion of Highway 163 the Sergeant William Billy Earl Collins Jr. Memorial Highway, were both reported favorably after brief testimony honoring veterans and law enforcement. House Bill 692, authorizing local governments to enter group purchasing agreements, was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 685, allowing use of FAST Act cooperative procurement for public motor vehicles and rolling stock, drew support from transit officials and was reported favorably after a roll call vote, with one member voting no. The committee also advanced House Bill 982, which designates portions of highways in Morehouse Parish in memory of local residents killed in a crash after attending an LSU game; it was reported with amendments. House Bill 506, creating special prestige license plates for local high schools as a fundraiser, was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 839, lowering the contract limit for hospital service districts to use construction management at risk from $2 million to $1 million, was reported by substitute after testimony from hospital leadership and industry representatives. House Bill 1072, revising powers and emergency procurement authority for the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, was amended and reported favorably after discussion about its relationship to DOTD and emergency repairs. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 887, which revises construction management at risk procedures, including committee makeup, scoring, and financial qualification requirements; it was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 647, creating timelines and an annual application process for waterway projects under a waterway assistance program and fund, was reported by substitute. The last major item discussed was House Bill 873, which would fund pursuit intervention technology and training for law enforcement through a $2 fee on driver’s licenses. The bill was presented alongside emotional testimony from the widow and daughter of Sergeant Grant Candies and from a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff’s captain, all urging safer equipment and better training for officers. Members expressed strong support, and the discussion continued into funding and grant administration details.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we want to be very careful about That.
• And I think, as I mentioned earlier, the budget discussion, as you consider the long-term viability of
• But I do think if we're thinking systemically about how to make residencies sustainable in the long term
• The bill would establish a reading assessment system task force to adopt a reading assessment system
• They also paid for my time off to take care of her.

Transcript Highlights:

• Year over year, Bitcoin has demonstrated strong long-term appreciation, much like gold.
• investment of our funds will ensure that our trading is not speculative, but rather is done with a long-term
• With responsible investment limits, top-tier security measures, and a long-term vision, this bill positions
• With responsible investment limits, top-tier security measures, and a long-term vision, this bill positions
• It offers a state long-term tamper-proof reserve asset and gives taxpayers a model for protecting their

Summary: The Insurance and Banking Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. HB 487 would authorize the CFO and State Board of Administration to invest up to 10% of certain state funds in Bitcoin, require specified custody methods, allow Bitcoin lending under rule, and create a process for accepting taxes and fees in Bitcoin. The sponsor and several proponents argued it would diversify state investments, hedge inflation, and position Florida as a leader in digital assets. Members raised concerns about volatility, security, valuation, and whether Bitcoin was being singled out over other cryptocurrencies, but the bill was reported favorably after debate and a roll call vote. The committee then considered HB 7011, an Open Government Sunset Review measure for records of insolvent insurers. The bill would continue some exemptions but make additional records public, including underwriting files, risk-solvency assessments, corporate governance annual disclosures, and the names, benefits, and compensation of insurance executive officers. There was no public testimony, and members discussed privacy and safety concerns, but the bill passed and was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard HB 1433 on hurricane mitigation grants and insurer regulation. The bill would tighten restrictions on former executives of failed insurers, raise capital requirements for new insurers, and require mitigation credits when homeowners receive Safe Florida Home funds. An amendment was adopted to require a licensed person to make final claim-denial decisions when AI or automation is used and to prioritize filings that lower rates. Consumer advocates supported the transparency and consumer protections, while industry representatives urged caution on the AI provisions. After debate, the amended bill was reported favorably. The meeting ended with closing remarks from the ranking member, vice chair, and chair reflecting on the committee’s work and likely final meeting of the term.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:15.600><c> The</c> they create them and for how long.
• The they create them and for how long.
• </c><00:04:42.520><c> of</c> benefit to the community in terms of benefit to the community in terms of
• </c><00:25:52.320><c> I</c><00:25:52.480><c> want</c> system. I want two viewpoints. I want system.
• . system. system.

Summary: The program focused first on Minnesota’s energy and affordability agenda, with Senator Nick Frentz discussing the state’s clean-energy leadership, rising electricity demand, and the Senate’s 100% clean energy framework. He said Minnesota’s clean energy growth supports jobs, lowers costs for ratepayers, and includes recent wins such as sustainable aviation fuel tax treatment in the supplemental budget. Frentz also said the Senate passed an energy omnibus bill that continues clean-energy permitting reforms, promotes conservation and demand response, and includes a nuclear study rather than lifting the nuclear moratorium. Frentz spent much of the interview defending data centers as both a challenge and an opportunity. He said large hyperscale projects can create major construction jobs and substantial local property-tax revenue, while a 2025 law requires data-center companies to contribute to low-income energy assistance and report water use. He pointed to the Google data center planned for Pine Island as an example, saying it is air-cooled, will pay $5 million a year, and will fund 1,600 MW of clean energy at its own expense, which he argued could save Xcel ratepayers money over time. He also said climate change is already driving higher costs through homeowners insurance and storm damage. The second segment highlighted Senator Zach Duckworth’s housing and banking bills. Duckworth said Senate File 4168 would make it easier to finance investment properties by giving buyers more flexibility to roll closing costs and lender fees into payments, while keeping strong protections in place for primary residences. He emphasized that the bill is not about predatory lending and is intended to expand options for informed investors. He also described Senate File 4652 as an anti-fraud, no-cost measure that lets bank customers name a trusted contact so banks can alert someone if suspicious activity is detected. Duckworth said both bills passed unanimously in both chambers, and he credited quick action and good working relationships across the aisle for their success. The program closed with a broader reflection on the end of session and the Senate’s political climate. It noted that 15 senators are retiring and two are leaving for higher office, and that final floor votes often split along party lines, including one bill passing 34-33. Several retiring senators used farewell speeches to urge civility, compromise, and putting people first, while the segment emphasized that despite partisan conflict, quiet bipartisan cooperation still produced much of the session’s enacted legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• The educational system is failing our children.
• In America, we must not allow our educational system to become a two-tier system.
• I'm a guy who understands the weight of a poor education system and the benefit of a good education system
• That our current education system isn't working.
• But long before there was a Department of Education... we fulfilled the programs of our educational system

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: educational reform, federal grants, bureaucracy, wealth disparity, public testimony

Summary: The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• our public system.
• And my recommendation for that is to look at competitive compensation, reasonable workloads, and long-term
• support systems that keep great leaders in our communities.
• And my recommendation for that is to look at competitive compensation, reasonable workloads, and long-term
• support systems that keep great leaders in our communities.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Long-term costs that ultimately the representative body of the community that's going to have to bear
• that this is a little distinct from the annexation question that you asked because it's not the same long-term
• that this is a little distinct from the annexation question that you asked because it's not the same long-term
• And second, counties are only able to provide the minimum necessary maintenance in the long term.
• So: new tools matching county responsibilities in the urban areas, funding support for long-term county

Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been a long... It's been a long day.
• I recognize that we have a deficiency in terms of citizens out there that... terms of citizens out there
• We got that term—maybe we invented it. We got that term—maybe we invented it: permatemp.
• It doesn't mean a Deferred Compensation Plan, that's just a pretty broad term.
• The current system is a burden to them on man hours and costs thousands of dollars.

Bills: SB163 , SB173 , SB155 , HB93 , SB163 , SB173 , SB155 , HB93

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund

Keywords: State Auditor, property investigations, negligence, loss report, civil actions, Alabama Retirement Savings Program, state-facilitated retirement savings, auto-IRA, automatic enrollment, payroll deduction IRA, retirement savings access gap, private sector workers, small business retirement plan, portable retirement account, Roth IRA, traditional IRA, life-cycle fund, capital preservation fund, financial literacy, Department of Workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't care.
• this bill recognizes that early learning is one of the highest leveraged investments for improving long-term
• Access to early education is critical to long-term success, especially for children with disabilities
• I think that this bill will go a long way. to compensate for that complexity and even make the system
• These early investments are key to accelerating learning and setting students up for long-term success

Bills: HB2 , HB2

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:

• term?
• term.
• We don't have long-term resources to sort of fall back on. And these are sound people.
• We don't have long-term resources to sort of fall back on. And these are sound people.
• So it's all long-studied and tested. We're proven. So it's all long-studied and tested.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.